Motor-chair.



PATENTED FEB. 20, 1906.

J. A. HIMBURG.

MOTOR CHAIRa APPLICATION nun mm. 15, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

giwenioz a)? fla'za'wwwd PATENTED FEB. 20, 1906.

J. A. HIMBURG.

. MOTOR CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1905.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED sTArns PATENT @FFTQE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 20, 1906.

Application filed June 15, 1905- Serial No. 265,437.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN A. HIMBURG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Troy, in the county of Pike and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention embodies novel improvements in chairs; and in its preferred embodiment the invention contemplates the provision of a chair and operating mechanism therefor in the form of a motor adapted to keep the chair in motion whenever desired by the user or person sitting therein.

The chair is particularly designed as a pleasure-chair for use on porches, lawns, in parks, and in similar places, not necessitating annoyance and work on the part of the user in moving the same.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and ac companying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a' chair embodying the invention, the base of the chair being partly broken away at one side and the operating mechanism shown in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken about on the line w a: of Fig. 1, parts being broken away on a plane back of the line on which said section is taken. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View bringing out more clearly the operating mechanism of the chair. Fig. 41 is a broken perspective view of the crank and; pitman connection between the chair and the base thereof.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same ref ren e chara t r In the drawings the numeral 1 designates the chair, which is mounted upon the horizontal framework or base 2, said, base being composed of the sides or runners 2 the connectingcross=pieoes 2F, and. the intermediate runner} or longitudinal bar 2 a construction similar to those used commonly for rocking chairs in many instances.- Upon the inner sides or runners 2 of the base are suitably attached rails 3, preferably made from angleiron, and these rails form a track upon which the chair 1 is adapted to travel back and forth. The chair 1 consists of a bottom or frame 4, supported by rollers which are designed to travel along the track formed by the rails 3, and the seat 6 of the chair 1 is connected with the bottom or frame 4 by means of legs 7, supporting the same. The back 8 of the chair 1 has the sides thereof pivoted between the ends of the same and the rear portion of the seat, as shown at 9, the back being adapted to be held in an adjustable position by an adjusting-pin. Side bars 11 are pivoted be tween the ends thereof, and the front portion of the seat 6, as shown at 12, is adapted for adjustment by nuts 13 also, and these side bars 11 support a foot-rest 14 at lower ends thereof adjustable upon adjustment of the members ll'aforesaid. The upper ends of the side bars 11 are connected by links 15 with the sides of the back 8 above the pivot 9 of said back, and the members 15 form suitable handles in a manner which Will be readily apparent. Likewise the lower portions of the members or bars 11 are connected with the lower extremities of the sides of the back 8 by means of a second link-bar 16. When the back 8 is adjusted so as to permit the user to sit upright or rest back at a desired inclination, the foot-rest 14 will also be simulta nleously adjusted in a manner which will be 0 car.

The operating mechanism for moving the chair 1 preferably consists of a motor 17, arranged beneath the chair between the sides 2 of the base 2. This motor is preferably an electric motor, arranged upon a motor-shaft 18. The motor shaft 18 is journaled in a gear-casing 19, secured to and carried by the intermediate longitudinal bar 2, as shown in Fig. 3, and mounted upon said motorshaft 18 is a gear 20, which is connected with a. drive gear 21 upon a drive-shaft 22, also journaled in the casing 19. Suitable speedreducing gears 23 are used to transmit mo tion from the gear 20 to the motor-shaft 18 and the gear 21 to the drive-shaft 22. The drive-shaft 22 has one end thereof projectingfrom a side of the casing 19, said projecting end carrying a crank-arm 24, connected by a pitman 25 with bracket-lugs 26, which project downwardly from the bottom of the frame 4 of the chair 1.

It will be understood that any suitable means may be utilized to start or stop the motor 137, and when said motor is in operati on the drive-shaft 22 will be revolved, turningthe crank 24 and imparting reciprocatory motion to the p-itman 25. Connection of the p man 2.5 with the bottom of the chair 1 is such that as long as the motor 17 is going the chair 1 moves back and forth on its track and may be stopped or started according to the pleasure of the person sitting therein.

It is designed to use a fan in connection with the chair operated by the same motor which causes the chair to travel along the base 2. For this purpose a vertical standard 27 is extended upwardly from the base 2 in advance of the chair 1, and this standard carries the fan 28, which is adjustably mounted at the upper extremity thereof. The fan 28 may be of any suitable type for the purposes of the invention and is operated by a fanshaft carrying a pulley 29, about which a belt passes, said belt 30 connecting the pulley 29 with a second pulley 31, which is mounted upon one side of the motor-shaft 18, its end extending upwardly from a side 2 of the base 2 to facilitate mounting of the pulley 31, as above set forth. As the chair 1 is adapted to be adjusted to bear the inclination of the body of the person sitting therein, it is de signed that the fan 28 be attached with adjustment to direct the air toward the person occupying the chair at any adjustment of said chalr.

If desired, an electric light 32 may be carried by the upper end of the standard 27 and is conveniently located for various purposes for which it may be desired to employ the same in the practical use of a ch air of the type herein set forth.

It will of course be understood that a single-chair construction, substantially as shown in the drawings, may be used, or, if desired, two chairs may be disposed opposite each other in a manner somewhat similar to the common construction of lawn-swings, the operating mechanism being suitably connected for the operation of the chairs, as desired.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

A device of the character described comprising a horizontally-extending framework consisting of longitudinal runners, an intermediate longitudinal runner or bar and crossbars connecting the same, longitudinally-extending rails carried by the two outside longitudinal runners or bars, a chair provided with a bottom frame 4 having supportingrollers at its ends mounted on said rails, a 4

motor, a casing for said motor, said casing be ing secured to and carried by the intermediate longitudinal bar, a train of gearing mounted in said casing and operatively connected with the shaft of said motor, bracketlugs 26 projecting downwardly from the bottom frame of the chair, a pitman connected at one end to said lugs, and a crank operat vely connecting said pitman with the said train of gearing, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I a'PfiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. HIMBURG. Witnesses:-

D. S. CARROLL, J. D. MURPHREE, Jr. 

